In my previous post on visual merchandising in Tokyo I covered windows and in‐store displays. This post is a continuation of my last one and focuses mostly on store design in Tokyo. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to look at my last post on visual merchandising in Tokyo, please check it out here. The store design in Tokyo is nothing short of exceptional, I completely fell in love with Opening Ceremony, and Kate Spade. Dover St Markets was also a major highlight. From my experience, when comparing the visual merchandising against the store design in Tokyo, I would say that the store design wins hands down. It feels like the Japanese use their store design to communicate their brand image more so than their window displays. It would be interesting to know whether one has a bigger impact on the consumer than the other, or whether they are relatively balanced in their levels of consumer influence? In saying that, obviously the best results would always be produced when store design and visual merchandising are working in conjunction with each other. But I wonder if they where separated, if a store only had one or the other, which one would prove to be more influential in a consumers decision to purchase? Practically impossible to measure I know, but the only reason I am pondering this is because I saw a lot of stores in Japan that where purely focused on store design with very minimal VM window and in store displays. But by all means take a look and compare for yourselves and let me know your thoughts?

Dover St Markets — Ginza

This is the no 1 must see if you are in Tokyo! The Dover st Markets is the epitome of fashion and design comprising of 6 levels of designer labels such as Comme des Garçons, Celine, Nike lab, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, A Bathing Ape and much more.                                 

Here are a few words about the concept and direction of Dover St Markets from Rei KAWAKUBO

“I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.”

For more info visit http://ginza.doverstreetmarket.com/index.html

Louis Vuitton at Dover St Markets

Louis Vuitton at Dover St Markets

Louis Vuitton at Dover St Markets

Opening Ceremony — Harajuku                                                                             Innovation at its finest. Most inspiring place to shop hands down.

Kate Spade — Aoyama                                                                                               Love, love, love this. And that dressing room is so good looking!

Prada Flagship — Aoyama                                                                                           This store is divinely futuristic.

 Yohji Yamamoto

The Gyre Building — Harajuku                                                                                  Comme des Garçons — The trading museum 

Maison Martin Margiela                                                                                                  Love the use of product in the grand piano, such a classy touch.

Indigo Camping Trailer

Isetan Department store                                                                                              Most definitely the best department store in Tokyo. 

Georgio Armani

Chloe

Fendi

Fendi

The Disney Store — Shibuya 

Alice in Wonderland cafe — Shibuya                                                                            Also known as Alice in a dancing land cafe, this is a hidden gem, it’s an underground cafe, which you either stumble upon by falling down a rabbit hole or someone gives you some very specific directions as to where it is.  However their are 6 individual alice cafes in Japan so you might just have some luck finding at least one of them.